Dispensing mechanism



July 2, 1935. 1.. v. ARONSON 8 DISPENSING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 12, 1950INVENTOR louis VAmnsm Patented July 2,1935

UNITED STATES aooao'az msrsnsmo miomlmsu' Louis V. Aronson, Newark, N.1., asslgnor to Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. 1., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application November 12, 1930, Serial No. 9,083

6 Claims. (Cl. 312-76) In invention relates to a device or mechanismoperable for transporting or conveying articles from one region toanother.

More particularly, my invention relates to 5 mechanism for dispensingany suitable articles such as ordinary cigarettes, such articles beinghereinafter generally termed a -cigarette" or cigarettes.

My invention, in a prominent phase thereof, relates to mechanism forconveying cigarettes one by one from a more or less inaccessible regionto one which is readily accessible.

Further advantages, characteristics and features of my invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing.

My invention resides in the dispensing mechanism, the conveying deviceand the features of construction of the character hereinafter describedand claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of one ofthe many forms thereof, reference isto be had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of dispensingmechanism constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, ofthe conveying mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view, partly in elevation, of thedispensing mechanism shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional view, partly in elevationcorresponding generally with Fig. 3 and showing another position of someof the parts.

Referring to the drawing, B represents a base which may be of anysuitable character and which is herein shown as comprising a top walland dependent side walls, the opening defined by said side walls beingclosed by a member i having a sheet 2 of material such as felt which issuitably secured to the bottom surface thereof whereby the base B may bedisposed upon any suitable supporting member, not shown. A baseconstruction of the character just described is desirable becauseproviding a substantially closed compartment or chamber for thereception of operating mechanism of the character hereinafter described.

Upstanding from the base I is a suitable casing or container C which, asherein shown, comprises a substantially vertical front wall 3 and aninclined rear wall 8, said walls 3 and I being Joined by spacedsidewalls disposed preferably in substantially parallel relation. Amember 5 forms a readily detachable cover for the casing C and, asshown, said member 5 may constitute a receptacle for the reception 5 ofashes, burnt cigarettes or the like. An inclined member 6 forms thebottom wall of the casing C, said member 6 terminating short of the rearcasing wall 4 as shown particularly in Fig. 3, whereby an opening isformed in the 10 casing bottom which extends entirely thereacross. fromside wall to side wall.

The bottom wall 6 of the casing C is spaced above the top wall of thebase B thereby providing space for a reciprocatory conveyer meml5 ber Iwhich rests on said top wall and is suitably guided for reciprocatorymovement, as by the side walls of the casing C. The reciprocatory memberI overlies a slot or aperture 8 formed in the top wall of base B, saidreciprocatory member I at one end thereof carrying a member 9 whichextends downwardly through said slot or aperture 8 and terminatesinteriorly of the compartment formed by the base B. As shown in Fig. 3,the reciprocatory member I is in its retracted position which, in theexample shown, is determined by engagement of the member 9 with anadjacent section of the top wall of base B. The reciprocatory mein- 3ber 'l is biased into its retracted position as shown in Fig. 3 in anysuitable manner, for example, by a helical spring l0, one end of whichis connected to a lug depending from the reciprocatory member I and theother end of 35 which. is connected to a lug depending from the top wallof base B.

As shown, the reciprocatory member :1 comprises a top wall which extendstransversely of the casing C and which, in efiect, forms a 46 movablebottom wall for said casing C. This top wall of the reciprocatory memberi is formed. with a lateral troughv or channel la which, when thereciprocatory member I is in retracted position, is disposed incoincidence with the 45 opening between the rear casing wall 4 and thebottom casing wall 6. Accordingly, with a number of cigarettes Atransversely disposed in the casing C, it results that they tend to anddo locate themselves in the rear, lower part 5; of said casing C, thisaction occurring due to the chute-forming relation of the inclinedcasing walls I and 6. Accordingly, when the receprocatory member 1 is inits retracted position, it follows that one of the cigarettes auto- 58matically comes to rest in the aforesaid channel 1a of saidreciprocatory member I.

The reciprocatory member I is adapted to be moved to extended positionsuch'as shown in Fig. 4 and the arrangement for accomplishing this endmay be of any suitable character. As herein shown, there is thusutilized a pair of knobs II and I2, the knob ll being fixed to andupstanding from the base B and the knob l 2 extending through anelongated slot formed in-pne side wall of the casing C and being securedto the adjacent section of the reciprocatory member 1. Accordingly, theoperator of the dispensing mechanism may place a forefinger on the knobII and the thumb on the knob l2 to thereby force the knob l2 toward theknob II. In so doing, the reciprocatory member 1 moves from retracted toextended position and as a result of this action, the spring I0 isplaced under tension. When the reciprocatory member I is thus moved toextended position, that cigarette A disposed in the channel Ia thereofcomes into position exteriorly of the casingb, the other cigarettesremaining in the casing C ready for subsequent removal one by one.

In accordance with my invention, a suitable picker structure is providedto remove the cigarette from the channel la and to carry the same to areadily accessible position. As herein shown although not necessarily,this picker structure simulates the appearance of a bird D, the beak orbill of the bird comprising members i3 and I4 fixed with respect to eachother and disposed in suitable converging relation.

The bird D comprises a body section l5 carrying the aforesaid beak orbill, the body section l5 being freely pivoted at It on a structure l Iupstanding from the base B and fixed thereto, said structure l'lsimulating the legs and feet of the bird D.

To the end that the body section l5 may be pivotally actuated, there isprovided a lever i8, one end of which is pivoted at to said body sectionI 5, the other end of said lever l8 being pivoted to one arm of a bellcrank lever 20 in turn pivoted to a member 2| depending from the topwall of base B. The other arm of the bell crank lever 20 has pivotedthereto one end of a link 22 which, at its other end includes anelongated slot 22a through which extends a pin 23 laterally carried bythe aforesaid member 8.

The body section 15 comprises a cavity Ila into which the lever l8extends. The structure ll comprises lower lateral sections llb, I'lbwhich extend laterally thereof, these lateral sections being engaged,respectively, by lower surfaces [5a of the body section l5 when the birdD is in upright position as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Engagement of thesurfaces l5a with the sections "b, respectively, limits movement in aclockwise direction, Fig. 3, of the body section l5 whereby the latteris prevented from moving clockwise from its normal, upright positionalthough it is freely movable in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 3.

The body section i5 of the picker structure is biased to uprightposition in any suitable manner, for example, as herein disclosed by theutilization of a helical spring 24, one end of which is secured to a lugdepending from the top wall of the base B and the other end of which issuitably secured to one arm of the bell crank lever 20, said spring 2!tending to swing the bell crank lever 20 in a clockwise direction, Fig.3, whereby the body section ll is also biased in a clockwise direction,Fig. 3.

As will be obvious with the form of my invention herein disclosed, thecover 5 is removable from the casing C whereby a number of cigarettes Amay be disposed transversely therein. Then, the knob l2 may be shiftedtoward the knob II to move the conveyer member I from left to right,Fig. 3, whereby a single cigarette A is transported exteriorly of thecasing 0. As herein shown, said cigarette A is moved to a positionexteriorly' of the casing C before there has been any movement of thebody section I. This happens due to the lost motion slot 22a, thecigarette being thus removed from the casing C while the pin 23 travelsfrom one end of said slot 22a to the other end thereof. However, atabout the time that the cigarette comes to rest exteriorly of saidcasing, the pin 23 comes to the end of the slot 22a and thereafter,during continued movement of the conveyer member 1, the link 22 is movedfrom left to right, Fig. 3. whereby the body section I5 is swungcounterclockwise, the members l3 and H on said body section passingfreely into a slot lb formed longitudinally in the conveyer member 1.The Just described swinging movement of the body section I 5 occurs moreor less suddenly and with a snap-like action whereby the cigarette A isfirmly and frictionally held between the members 13 and i4.

Thereafter, upon release of the knob l2, the spring 24 functions toswing the body section I5 to normal upright position, said cigarette Abeing carried along with and by the members l3 and Hi to position thesame in readily accesible position. Release of pressure on the knob l2also permits expansion of the spring ill whereby the conveyer member Ireturns to retracted position, another cigarette A automatically cominginto the slot 1a thereof. Accordingly, after removal of the cigarette Afrom between the members l3 and H, the dispensing mechanism is incondition for subsequent operation.

If desirable, the top wall of the base B, to one side of the bird D, maybe provided with an aperture receiving a ring 25, Figs. 1 and 2, thisring being adapted to form a support for lighting mechanism of anysuitable character. As herein shown although not necessarily, suchlighting mechanism is of pyrophoric character and it may be such as isdescribed in my pending application Serial No. 451,257, filed May 10,1930. Briefly, as described in said application, this pyrophoriclighting mechanism comprises a fuel casing 26 having an upper skirtsection 25a adapted to detachably rest upon the upper surface of thering 25, the fuel casing carrying a pivoted snuifer lever 21 and adepressible member 28, the latter, when depressed, causing pivotalmovement of the lever 21 whereby the lighter wick is exposed and sparks,pyrophorically produced, are passed toward the exposed end of said wick.

The provision of pyrophoric lighting mechanism as just described isdesirable because the dispensed cigarette may be removed by one handfrom the members 13 and i4 and the lighting mechanism operated afterremoval thereof from the ring 25 by the other hand to produce flame forignition of said cigarette. It shall be understood, however, that myinvention is not to be limited in the respects just noted since thelighting mechanism may be omitted if desired.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certainparticular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intendedtherefore in the appended claims to. cover all such changes andmodifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a casing adapted to contain a plurality ofcigarettes, a reciprocatory device beneath said casing, said deviceserving to convey a cigarette exteriorly of said casing in a directiontransversely of the longitudinal axis of said cigarette, and means forremoving said cigarette from said member and for elevating it to adispensing position, said reciprocatory device and said removing meansbeing manually operable in such timed relation that said cigarette isexteriorly of said casing prior to actuation of said removing means.

2. The combination with a base, of a'casing carried by said base andadapted to contain a plurality of cigarettes, said casing having aninclined bottom wall of less length than that of said casing whereby atransverse bottom casing opening is formed, a conveyor reciprocatory onsaid base below said bottom casing wall and having a transverse channelfor the reception of a cigarette, means for moving said conveyor toposition said cigarette exteriorly of said casing, a picker structurefor elevating said cigarette to dispensing position, link and levermechanism actuated by said means for operating said picker structure,and means for biasing said conveyor to cigarette-receiving position andsaid picker structure to elevated position.

3. In combination, a casing adapted to contain a plurality ofcigarettes, said casing having a passage for discharging cigarettestherefrom one at a time, means for receiving a cigarette from saidcasing and for conveying it from said passage in a direction extendingtransversely of the longitudinal axis of said cigarette, said rettes,

means closing said passage except when in predeterminedcigarette-receiving position, picker structure for removing saidcigarette from said conveying means and elevating it to dispensingposition, and means for operating said conveying means and saidplcker'structure in timed relation.

4. In combination, a casing adapted to contain a plurality ofcigarettes, a device movable beneath said casing from retracted todispensing position for conve g a cigarette exteriorly of said casing,from said device and elevating it to a dispensing position, means foroperating said device and removing means in timed relation, and meansfor normally maintaining said device in retracted position and saidremoving means in elevated position. V 1

5. In combination,-a casing adapted to contain a plurality ofcigarettes, a device reciprocatory beneath said casing from retracted todispensing position for conveying a cigarette exteriorly of said casingmeans for removing said cigarette from said device and elevating it to adispensing position, means for operating said device and removing meansin timed relation, and means for normally maintaining said device inretracted position and said remeans for removing said cigarette movingmeans in ,elevated position, the cigaafter removal from said casing,being handled only by said device and said removing means.

6. In combination, a casing adapted to contain a plurality of-cigarettes, a device reciprocatory beneath said-casing from retractedto dispenstng position for conveying a cigarette exteriorly of saidcasing with the cigarette axis disposed transversely of its path ofmovement, means for removing said cigarette from said device andelevating it to a dispensing position, means for operating said deviceand removing means in timed relation, and means for normallymaintainingsaid device in retracted position and said removing means inelevated position.

LOUIS V. ARONSON.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,006,9824- I July.2, 1935. LOUISv. ARONSON.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the heading to the printedspecification-of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows:

Line 6, for "the serial number 459, 083" read 495,083; and same page,first column, line 1, for, "In" read My; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with tbcse'correczio'ns therein that the same'mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of August, A. D. 1935.

Leslie Fraier 3 (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

